Along with adjacent properties, the New Jersey site is becoming a massive mixed-use, mixed-income project.

Mike Ghassali, mayor of Montvale, N.J. (Special)

“We are very excited about it, as this section of town will become the new downtown for us,” Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali said in an email.

According to media reports, the development will help Montvale fulfill a state requirement to have a certain amount of affordable housing. The concepts have similarities to what the city of Sandy Springs is attempting with its City Springs downtown project and a push for north end redevelopment.

Montvale was stung by MBUSA leaving. Along with losing jobs and corporate donations, Montvale was left in the awkward situation of the town hall having a mailing address on the company’s locally branded street there, Mercedes Drive. Ghassali previously said the town would wipe out that street name. But now he says the city is holding off the renaming with business retention in mind.

The new Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters in Sandy Springs during the March 15 grand opening. (Kate Awtrey)

“As for naming the street, we decided to keep it [Mercedes Drive] because there is a least one major corporation on this road and it would negatively affect their global business,” Ghassali said. “Their customers may think that they moved, so at least for now, the name is staying.”